The Secrets of Acerbus
by Chiseplushie
Summary: With magical blood running through her veins, Lyra has been denying her past as she lives an unconventional life. She was perfectly happy living alone, and wouldn't mind doing so for another decade. That is, until she saves a man by the name of Draco Malfoy from danger. Depressed and guarded, no one has found their way into Lyra's heart-until now.
1. Prologue

**A/N: Hello all. I have been toying with this story for a long time. It is set in the world of Harry Potter, after the war. There will be talks of self mutilation, depression, some mild violence and language, and rude humor. I hope you guys will enjoy it. Special thanks to WiseSilver for being my beta. Any comments or suggestions are welcome. Enjoy! **

**::. Chiseplushie**

****I do not own Harry Potter**

* * *

**Prologue**

She stared into the void. The machines hummed as the switches were flicked to the ON position. The girl groaned and tried to stir, but felt the weight of restraints and remembered that she was home. The table on where she lay was cold, and her pale skin rippled with goosebumps as she halfheartedly struggled to get free. She blinked her dull green eyes a few times as the lights came on abruptly. The room was tinged with green, then orange and yellow, and then the colors were righted as her vision came to. Her chest heaved as started hyperventilating. There was no escape. Panic overwhelmed her senses with every breath she took. She felt her body begin to sweat. A whimper escaped as tears rolled off her chin.

There were glass shelves and cupboards along the walls. IV poles and digital equipment that monitored health. A few wheeled tables held gloves, cotton swabs, bandages, vials of medicines, pipes and pipettes, microscopes, needles of different sizes and a small refrigerator that she knew contained samples of her blood. Even her wand had its place in the sterile atmosphere.

"Now, now Lyra. Calm down. We're almost done here and you can go out and play." A woman came over to the girl and placed her hands and feet in the machine. These new restraints covered her hands and feet like casts, and were as large as they were bulky. They were only a part of what caused pain.

"It's going to be okay." She wiped my face with a tissue and the girl realized this woman was her mother. Her mother brushed the girl's strawberry blonde hair away from her sweaty face. Tears bloomed in Lyra's green eyes again. How long has it been? A few days? Weeks? Months?

"You should be proud." Her mother continued. "Soon, other people will be able to use magic too. Lyra, you are a part of something that will go down in history."

"You should be happy darling." My dad materialized beside my mom. Both were wearing long clean coats, and were putting on latex gloves now. Lyra could smell the sharp scent of antiseptic mixed with her own sweat in the air. "The success of this will make us celebrities in the scientific world. You will lead our family into this new age. Everyone would be magical." As if these thoughts could calm her. As if any of it could be true. As if the girl could bring herself to trust them again.

Lyra was sniveling again as she waited and did not speak. She didn't fight these restraints now. There was no point. She wasn't strong enough, or big enough. She just laid there and wondered again for the billionth time, where her old parents went. The ones that used to love her and play with her. The ones that listened to her when she spoke. The ones Lyra knew before she turned 11, before she started to study magic. Before the pain.

There were some magical episodes when Lyra was younger. But she was smart and strong. Lyra learned from what were at the time, accidents. She developed and learned to control her powers little by little. And when her Hogwarts letter came, Lyra didn't go. Her parents, pretended she would go. Would eventually go. She was removed from her muggle school, and rarely saw her friends.

Her parents thought her accidents as a toddler were coincidence. They didn't understand that she had powers and the incidents were soon forgotten. They worked long hours, and she always looked forward to the weekends when they could play together. Then Lyra was a gift. Her parents went to work less and when she asked about it, they told her they were permitted to work at home. They built their laboratory in their basement. She showed her parents how she could make flowers grow. She made the breeze gently play with the leaves in the yard. It was harmless and the little girl craved her parent's encouragement. Lyra became her parents own science experiment. They would video tape Lyra and ask her to make objects fly through the air; they laughed together. With practice, Lyra could set a small log on fire in their fireplace by her touch. The real magic started happening when she got her first books and wand. She loved her parents and cherished their time together.

They bought books from Diagon Alley, and Lyra learned from them at great speeds. She soaked everything up and thirsted for more. They kept buying more books and she kept learning as quickly as she could. They pushed harder magic on her. Lyra knew a lot about plants, about wand work, spells, charms, curses, and hexes. Lyra knew magic was complex, and she her skills were years ahead of her age. But even now at the age of thirteen, she didn't know her parents. She guessed she never did.

Of course this contraption is relatively new. Only a few weeks old. And here she was, trapped again. She was a prisoner in her own home. Fear bubbled inside her. This demented machine, was supposed to take her magic from her. Suck it out of her so they could study it further. Harness it so they could profit from it. But the machine doesn't work, because no one knows how magic works. It cannot just be taken. Can it?

Lyra felt her skin pinch as her father took a blood sample from her arm. She winced and when her eyes opened she saw that her parents moved from her side to the far end of the room. A panel of keys were spread in front of them and together the couple typed in commands. The table on which Lyra lay started to move, and the girl listened to the automatic groan of the machine. Lights blinded her as she entered a tube, and she could hear the static coming from the speakers from inside. Lyra faintly smelled electricity in the air. Almost like copper or gun powder. Tears no longer spilled, and she worked hard to control her pounding heart. She tried to take gulps of air and felt a tingling sensation bubbling in her chest that spread through her body. The low hum emitted by the machine grew louder as she shut her eyes.

"Okay darling. Experiment 'New Age,' starting on test number two-six-three. Begin initial test with new equipment, in 3...2...1." She heard one of her parents say through the speakers.

Lyra screamed.


	2. Chapter 1

**A/N: I hope you enjoy this chapter. Don't hesitate to message me. :D**

**Everything in Italics, are either** _thoughts_ **or** "_actual conversation"._

**Thank you everyone for reading. **

**::. Chiseplushie**

****I do not own Harry Potter**

* * *

**Chapter 1**

A gentle breeze brushed against her nose and she smelled the air. She left the lightly beaten path, and paused. Curiously, she lifted her head and sniffed more. She smelled the clean and light fragrance that stood out from the natural scents. She was not familiar with the odor and it bothered her a little.

The wolf sniffed the ground and walked vaguely in the direction of the scent and soon was embraced by the silence and bright green leaves. She smelled mulch and the dirt felt cool against the pads of her gray paws. Eyes as green as pine, looked towards the ground again, and smelled, searching for signs of wildlife that she could eat. _Rabbits were not worth the trouble-not enough meat for so much work,_ she reasoned. The wolf hadn't eaten in over five days, so she would have to catch a lot of rabbits to fill her aching belly. _Squirrels were just fur balls. Birds were fun to chase._ She really loved chasing them. There was this game where she would-wait. _This here. Right here._ She looked down her muzzle. _This is deer poop._

Her tail wagged in excitement and her mouth salivated in anticipation of a good meal. She was hunting in another pack's territory and felt no guilt.

There was a time when she did not go hungry for so long. That was before the war, a few years ago when game was easier to come by. She heard the whispers about the war from the folks in every town she visited. She read it in the papers and saw the propaganda. The wolf pretended the war which ended five years ago, did not matter to her. She had fought on neither side. Life was easier as a wolf, and she seldom lived otherwise in the past ten years. She chose not to live amongst people, if it could be avoided.

She was different. She could not live with muggles and be muggle. She tried for a short while after her parents died, but did not want to keep her magic in. She also could not live in orphanages. She pitied the children and did not want to become as hopeless as those children thought they were. She had a life to live and she would live it.

Of course the war mattered to her. She was a muggle born and hoped that Voldemort's side would not win. There was nothing she could do but hide, especially when those Snatchers made their rounds. Other wizards paraded around and set fire to everything they laid their eyes on. Forests and animal life declined. Food became scarce in some areas and she traveled often. Generally, she cycled through the territories she favored—places with ample space for her to run, numerous trees, a water source and near by wizards. She stayed hidden as a wolf, and admittedly she took down her fair share of rotten wizards. She did not want to get caught and tortured, and dared not show herself. If she was injured badly enough, she knew her transformation would not hold and she would turn human again. The war ended years ago, and since then she had been hoping to find a place to settle down. She has always been hoping to find her own place.

She stopped walking and her eyes peered closely at the foliage. She silently pleaded to Merlin that there was a small family of deer near by.

Her hunger induced frustration doubled when she finally saw the deer. There were three wolves already tearing at their meal and three others waited near the kill. The smell of blood tinted the forest air. Her mouth salivated.

She hunched down low to the ground, ears tilted this way and that as the wolf stayed as quiet as possible. Her paws padded quietly as she circled southward and sniffed the ground and air to find out the direction in which the remaining deer escaped. The wolves that waited snapped their attention to the east. They all heard the sound of twigs broken underfoot and it was only after a moment's hesitation that the three sentries bounded off in search of the sound. Only minutes later she heard a human scream.

Quick and nimble for her size, Lyra was twenty feet away from the man before the attacking wolves heard her. They had already wounded him, having the upper hand and were thirsty for blood. From his position on the ground, the man put up a shield and watched with relief as the wolves balked as they were rebounded by the charm. From a short distance the man saw a larger wolf appear and thought it best to disapparate home before it tore him to pieces.

She growled, pulled her hunches up and her muscles tightened as she pursued the attacking wolves. She didn't often associate with humans anymore, but she would be damned if she let one be assaulted, 3 on 1 and she was sure the others would soon come to their aid. She leaped and was caught in a battle of claws and fangs. The man watched in confusion as her jaws clamped down on a wolf's neck. The other two wolves snapped at the larger one, trying to tear flesh from bone. He was certain the wolf was dead before the pair tumbled to the ground.

Hot blood dripped from the fatal wound and she clenched her jaws tighter to make certain the wolf was dead. Blood pounded in Lyra's ears as she stood and she faintly heard the male scramble to a standing position from behind as she released the dead wolf. Red sparks flashed by stunning their target, and missing Lyra by a few inches. Licking her chops, she turned to see a man with his wand clutched and injured arm, with a determined look on his hardened face. He was uncertain if she was here to aid him or harm him, but decided they would fight side by side for now. The other smaller, younger wolf advanced on him. Lyra glanced behind her and saw 3 more had come, their meal momentarily forgotten. Instantly her appetite gripped her, and she let the anger bubble inside her. She growled fiercely at the trio that circled her, and snarled at their foul taunts. She was bigger, hungrier, and confident she would win.

2 wolves leaped at her and the third snapped at her hind leg. She involuntarily whimpered as she felt their teeth sink into her left leg as she tried to shake of the 2 that had claimed her back and shoulder. Lyra bit the one on her leg with her massive jaws and the animal let go with a yelp. Red sparks flew by, missing her and hit the wolf that she had bitten. She was wounded and she could feel the pain from the lacerations. The pair did not hesitate as they fiercely whipped their heads side to side, their teeth tearing through her fur and flesh. She fell to her side and rolled on top of the opposing wolves, vying for the favorable position. She heard their high pitched whimpers of pain and felt their release. The man stunned a wolf, and watched the scene before him.

It was evident to him that Lyra couldn't use her left hind leg, the head wounds and lacerations on her muzzle were bleeding, as were the various injuries on her body. Lyra hit the ground having been headbutted by the other wolf, her adrenaline high gone as her head bounced off the hard packed earth. Being sizable did not favor her when she was struck down, she was bigger and fell harder. Stars dazed in her vision and she fought to stay conscious. The wolf lunged at her and she was not able to roll away in time. On top of her, the wolf had the advantage and she could do nothing but use her paws to hold it's head at bay. With a shriek the wolf fell on top of her and lay still. _The man stunned it_, she realized. _Or killed it_. She rolled away from the body and stood. Or rather, she tried to. She involuntarily yelped as her hind leg gave out under her weight and she fell to the ground once more. With effort, Lyra breathed heavily as shakily stood on her three legs . She finally turned her attention to the man.

They stood staring at each other, each wondering if the other was going to attack. The denim pants and a solid blue t-shirt he was wearing were ripped from the encounter. The day was bright and the sun glanced off his tousled golden hair. His face was slick with sweat, his wand arm and shoulder were bleeding. He had dirt, leaves, fur and blood all over him. Looking at him, she could tell the man was used to finer things than the simple clothes he wore. She imagine he lived a posh life and she wondered why this poised man was alone in the forest. The man looked at the wolf and saw a marred face. He thought it was because of the blood and dirt upon her face and muzzle, that he could not distinguish the new injuries apart from the old. Lyra looked into his fierce blue eyes, watching him as he fingered his wand. She smelled his scent and she realized it was his unfamiliar odor she had smelled earlier.

Her body ached and felt bruised all over - she was exhausted. Limping heavily, she broke her gaze and turned from him, slowly made her way back the way she had come. She thought of the doe the pack had taken down and decided she would settle for left overs.

He lowered his wand and surveyed the injured wolf that walked away from him.

"Wait." He called suddenly. Lyra paused and turned her head to face him. He hesitated, surprised. "Thanks." He managed. She held his gaze for a moment longer before taking her leave from him.

The man had recently moved to this area, and wanted to wander the town. He preferred to live quietly, away from the heart of town, and as such his home was on the edge of town. He lived in a spacious Victorian cottage and traveled to work by floo or apparitian. He found the woods and were immediately captivated by their vast trees. They were different than the sinister woods near the Manor where he once called home.

His wounds were not extensive but pain seared in his shoulder and arm. He quickly thought about everything that happened, and wondered at his good fortune. During his walk, he accidentally came upon a pack of wolves who were enjoying their meal. In his haste to leave them be, the sounds he made alerted them of his presence. Ever on the offense, they attacked before he was a respectable distance away. It didn't help the fact that he had tripped, making him unprepared for the attack. He wondered then, why this other wolf, bigger and smarter, had come to his aid? It obviously did not belong to this pack, since it mercilessly killed one of their own and was ruthlessly attacked by them. As it walked away he couldn't help but be thankful their paths crossed. He hoped if they ran into each other again, their meeting would not leave them with open wounds.


	3. Chapter 2

**A/N: GUYS! I just finished moving, and man, was it tiring. I'm so glad I'm out of the old place. I have so much more room, and there's even places for guests to sit in the living room. **

**I hope you enjoy this chapter. Don't hesitate to message me with thoughts or suggestions. :D**

**Everything in Italics, are either** _thoughts_ **or** "_actual conversation"._

**Thank you everyone for reading. **

**::. Chiseplushie**

****I do not own Harry Potter**

* * *

**Chapter 2**

Lyra stirred and opened one green eye. Her mind was clouded and she couldn't remember falling asleep. The sun's rays peeked at her through the thick and narrow tree branches above her. She vaguely remembered taking a few bites of the doe carcass, and then laying her head down. Pain throbbed and her body felt like it was on fire. _I should make my way to the stream and wash up. After another nap,_ Lyra thought. She gave into oblivion once more.

.::..::..::..::..::.

She felt wet. Disgusted, Lyra opened her eyes, jerked her head back from close quarters and sneezed. A sharp pain laced up her spine and a groan escaped her.

"_Get away from me."_ She said. "_Why are you licking me? On second thought, don't answer that"._

"_Bless you."_ He replied. "_You don't have to be so snippy. I was trying to wake you. You're in bad shape."_

"_Go away, Adrian."_ Lyra snarled at him. She gingerly tried to curl herself into a ball, but could only manage it halfheartedly. She buried her snout with her massive gray paws.

"_You've been laying here all day. More than all day actually. Maybe two days. I didn't actually count."_

"_I don't care. Go away. I can take care of myself."_

"_Like you took care of my pack?"_ Adrian growled. His fiery brown eyes bore into hers.

"_What are you talking about?" _Her head ached.

"_You took out two of my wolves the other day."_

Lyra felt dizzy. She tried to remember how they ended up together. She peered through the clouds within her mind and remembered the fight between the man, and wolves. The man was fair skinned, with blonde hair and blue eyes; she saw his face clearly in her mind. Adrian'_s pack,_ she thought. _His wolves._

"_They were viciously attacking a human—one that meant no harm to them. They deserved what they got. I didn't know they were yours, anyways."_ She added, and wondered if that fact would have made a difference. _Probably not,_ she felt weak and smelled a faint sickly odor. Lyra knew the smell wasn't coming from the brown wolf standing before her.

"_A human shouldn't be on my land."_

Lyra snorted "_Yes, because they can tell where you and your pack run. Don't give me that crap."_

"_They're foul creatures, Lyra. You felt the same, once."_

"_When I was a child, Adrian. I'm not a little girl anymore."_ Her head pounded.

"_Obviously, since you have a wet nose, fur and four legs. Possibly three legs, if you don't get up soon."_

"_You know what I mean. I'm not the same girl you knew. How did this turn into a discussion about me?"_

"_Our discussions are always about you, whenever I'm concerned."_

Lyra was silent and did not reply. Adrian was as narrow minded as those pure blood purists. Except he was worse these days, because those people were not pretending to be something they weren't. Most of the time. He wasn't so bad before the war, just passionate.

Lyra met Adrian a few months after she ran away when her parents died. He was a boy from the local orphanage. Lyra was reading when he approached her in the wizarding book shop long ago. She was dirty from head to toe, except for the face and hands, and her clothes were worn and old. Her hair was shorter then, rumpled in it's pixie cut. Adrian was fairly clean in his frayed second hand clothes. His cloak was undersize and his pants were four inches too long, his feet barefoot. She was not exactly the most approachable teen, but with his persistent badgering, a full week passed before Lyra finally gave in. Their relationship developed slowly, and she answered his questions with the least possible words she could think of. They talked mostly about magic and kept their pasts behind them. Lyra did not want to open herself up to someone so soon. She was young, and scared of being taken advantage of again. She was scared of not only hurting someone she cared about but being hurt by them.

Together they studied magic from the books they couldn't afford to purchase and as they grew, so did their powers (as did their control). The shop keeper gave them quills, ink and parchment to write on, but under no circumstances were they allowed to filch or write in the books from his shop. During their first year together, they each became friend and confidant to one another. The pair encouraged and supported their ambition to become animagi. The little girl filled out a little, from what little they could find (or steal) to eat, and the boy now stood a few inches taller than she.

They talked of their history before that day they met in the book shop, and shared the same views about humans. Why be human when humans abandoned you? Crushed your heart? Used you and lied to you? Tricked and betrayed you? Manipulated you? They were selfish creatures and the pair wanted nothing more to do with them. They agreed that though they were human, life would be better if they were not.

They concentrated on controlling their magic; Lyra was especially committed. According to a scant number of books they read, it was theorized that wands were just an extension of magic and only advanced witches and wizards were able to perform wandless magic. They practiced performing magic without wands. Out of the two, Lyra was the quickest study since she no longer owned a wand, and though Adrian did possess one, he could only perform a handful of basic spells wandlessly. By the time she was fifteen (2 years after her incident), and Adrian sixteen, they mastered becoming animagi. There was still much they did not learn about magic, but the pair showed great restraint and dominance with the power they had. Still, good things eventually come to an end.

Adrian thirsted for power. Political power amongst the wolves suited him and he sought to become the Alpha wolf, and expand their lands. In Lyra's opinion, he was corrupt and narrow minded. It was difficult for Adrian to gain any sort of popularity since he was actually a wizard, but he was sworn to a life amongst the wolves during that time and eventually persuaded followers. After two years, she couldn't live together with him and his pack. She was hurt by her parents, but that did not mean Lyra believed she was above humans or wanted to rule them. She just wanted to live with those that accepted her. She thought she would find acceptance with the wolves. It was too much to live with Adrian and his pack. She just wanted family and friends.

"_There is an apothecary in town."_ Adrian's nose nudged her own. Lyra pulled her mind away from the creeping darkness.

She peered at him suspiciously. "_I thought you didn't associate with humans."_

"_I don't. But for you, I would. For a time. A short time."_ He snorted. "_Either that or lose your leg. I can't heal something like that. Its infected."_

"_How did you find me anyways? I thought your land was west of here."_

"_My territory is greater than it was."_ He smiled a toothy grin.

"_You were following me."_

"_Absolutely not. I have my pack to attend to. This was just a bittersweet accident. Besides, we haven't ran together in,"_ He paused in thought. "_Over a year. I guess we could go to St. Mungos, if you wanted. The only drawback is that the Healers tend to ask pesky questions."_

"_I don't want to go to St. Mungos. I want you to go away and leave me alone. Forever."_

"_I am offering you my services as an old friend, and that is how you talk to me? I am not leaving you alone to die, Lyra."_

"_You did once."_ Lyra snarled.

"_You were perfectly fine." _He shrugged. "_I had no doubt who the victor would be."_

"_You are a coward. You ran off with your tail tucked between your legs."_

"_You escaped didn't you?"_

"_Yes, with most of my face I might add."_

"_You can heal those scars. How did this turn into a discussion about me?"_ Adrian licked her face again.

"_Don't do that. Get away from me."_

"_At least let me help you get to the apothecary."_

"_I am not going."_

"_You probably have a concussion. Stop being childish. There is not a chance of you or your leg surviving the infection if you don't go. Even if you could find the plants around here that might have a slim chance of saving you. You can't even walk." _He paused._ "__How is it, you haven't shifted back yet?"_

"_This pain is nothing compared to death."_ She paused. _"__Having you beside me might be enough cause for that level of pain."_

"_No need to be nasty, now. Just doing my duty as a friend."_

Lyra sighed. She knew better, but she liked to be stubborn. Especially since Adrian was here. She considered herself an acquaintance of his and wanted to be left alone. There was nothing more for them. She chose to walk away from him, even though he kept finding her. _Coincidences,_ she thought sarcastically. She would continue to walk away from Adrian. Their encounters were nothing more but that. Old acquaintances passing each other. _Still, why is he insisting on helping me _this _time?_

She liked having all her legs and the more she thought about her condition, the less likely it seemed she would be able to make it into town on her own.

"_Fine. Let's go then. You be human, and levitate me into town. I'd rather you didn't carry me."_

"_Or touch you, so you've said. But I think you'd be more successful at finding help in town if you were human. I don't think they have a magical creatures specialist. Unless you count the butcher."_

"_Since when did you volunteer yourself, or us to be human?"_

"_Since I figured out its the best way to get you treated. You've been here all day. Longer than all day probably, and I've had all morning to sit and think about you."_

_And you have my best interests in mind?_ Lyra couldn't believe what she heard. A part of her wanted to believe him, and the other part of her wanted to know he had up his sleeve.

"_Let's go then. And do not talk to me. I wouldn't be able to handle it after all the excitement we're about to have."_

Lyra closed her eyes and did something she hadn't done in years: willed herself to change into her human body. She spent time concentrating on staying a wolf, which came easily to her as the years went on but it had been a long time since she felt herself in her own body. She wondered how much her body changed in all this time. _I'll hardly be able to recognize myself_, she thought.

The man that looked down upon her had long shaggy hair. His dark brown eyes matched his hair color and his skin was slightly tanned. His eye brows were thick and his high cheek bones gave him a regal look. He had a heavy bottom lip that was curved slightly into a frown. His cloak was tattered and too short for him, as were the pants that he wore. Adrian laid a calloused hand on Lyra's shoulder as she tried to slowly sit up.


	4. Chapter 3

**A/N: Hi everyone! I'm sorry about not updating sooner. I had writer's block, AND one of my co workers has left my office (so I've been stressed with more responsibilities).**

**I hope you enjoy this chapter. Special thanks to my beta, WiseSilver. **

**Don't hesitate to message me with thoughts, questions or suggestions. :D**

**Everything in Italics, are either** _thoughts_ **or** "_actual conversation"._

**Thank you everyone for reading. **

**::. Chiseplushie**

****I do not own Harry Potter**

* * *

**Chapter Three**

Her red hair flowed around her, framing her face like embers of fire. Her skin was pale and she was without clothing, comfortable in her own skin. Although underwater, she was able to breathe without gills and as she looked around, her gray eyes searched. She did not think about her situation, just accepted it like the dreams before. This was not the first time she swam in this ocean. An angel fish flitted past, and she kicked her legs as she swam after it. She swam against the current and did not take the time to admire scene around her. Plants jutted out between rocks, the sun's golden rays glinted upon her hair as she rounded a corner. The blue water was crystal clear. She followed the white and blue angel fish deeper and deeper, descending a wall of rock and coral.

The water was cool against her bare skin and when she reached the bottom of the ocean floor, she kicked up clouds of white sand. She saw a glint of scales and swam through an out cropping of rocks and into a cave. She spotted the angel fish and desperately wanted to catch up to it. She was tired and felt her stamina giving out. Finally the angel fish was cornered and she swam up to it slowly, not wanting to frighten it. She tried to speak but her words came out as bubbles. There was so much she wanted to ask. Why did they keep meeting in her dreams? Was there a meaning? Were their meetings a cry for help? What did it want from her? Why did they keep ending violently? The little fish always seemed to distance itself from her, and this time there was no other place to go. She swam closer pushing her hair away from her face. She peered at the beautiful fish and reached out with one hand. The water suddenly swirled, like a cyclone around her and angelic fish. Violently she spun around and she squinted through her lashes, frightened at the abrupt change.

She had to find it, and couldn't fight the desire to keep it safe. She was inside the cyclone now, above the sea. Her hair whipped around her face. The sky was no longer warm and inviting—it was dark and laced with lightening. The cyclone's violent motion ended and she was thrown into the sea, the water stung her lungs as she fell. She tread water and coughed as she gasped for air, her heart beating quickly in her throat. From the sea rose up a great serpent, its roar resonated through the sea. The great monster opened its jaws and she saw teeth as long her torso. The creature screamed in anger before dipping its neck, its jaws closed around her as it swallowed her whole. Gray eyes dark as ash sprung open with a start, and the woman sat up. She groped her sweaty body to make sure she was alive. Breathing heavily, Meredith laid back down, her hair making crimson waves upon her pillow.

.::.::.::.::.

Adrian and Lyra made it to the nearby town, about three quarters of a mile north east from where they started in the woods. Trees mostly surrounded the small town, though they were not overbearing. The roads were lined with cobble stones, and the quaint shops made the town look picturesque. Lights in the storefront windows were turned low; a few lights were turned off completely. The setting sun washed the sky in orange, the buildings cast long shadows upon the streets. There were not any people milling about on the streets tonight.

Adrian assumed that the shopkeepers lived above their businesses and he knew from his scouting that more than a few houses and cottages peppered the perimeter of the central hub. He felt Lyra gasp as she brought herself back to the present with a sharp nod. He had to hand it to her—she was a trooper. They had found a sturdy walking stick which she used to balance herself most of the way, so as to not put weight on her injured left leg. Lyra was conscious for the entire trip, up until about a hundred feet before the edge of town, her walking stick lay forgotten. She was stubborn and he knew she was grasping at the faint strings of consciousness. It was this stubbornness in her that he found pleasing, if not frustrating during their travels together. _Or maybe it was her determination,_ he mused.

He had one arm wrapped around her waist and the other held her right arm around his neck. He pulled more of her weight against him, when he felt her body shift towards the ground as she fought against her fever, pain and bodily injuries. Adrian never entered town, he always kept a short distance away and for that reason, he hadn't the slightest idea of where the apothecary would be. _Probably on the other side of town, _he thought grumpily. He trudged on, slightly unbalanced and limping at Lyra's weight. He saw windows open and some people peeked out at the pair.

"Excuse me," Adrian shouted at the town. "Is anyone a healer? My friend is badly hurt." He kept walking, reading the different signboards, shouting and even making eye contact with some of the townsfolk peering down at him from open windows. "My friend needs help. Where can we find the healer? A mediwizard? Anyone?" He was getting frustrated. _Didn't anyone help one another anymore in this world?_

A door opened and out walked a tall man. The sign read, Lulu's Kitchen.

"Excuse me, wait." Adrian said desperately. "My friend is hurt. Can you help us?" His words came out rushed.

The man paused and eyed the pair. They were both caked in dirt, their clothes ripped and old. They probably hadn't worn anything but those same clothes for years. The man probably had brown hair, he could not tell. The man's eyebrows were drawn together with worry above his brown eyes. _Hermits,_ he assumed. Never could figure them out.

"Please, she's really sick. Her leg is in really bad shape. All of her is, actually." Adrian prompted the man when he hesitated.

"I'm no healer, but I know where we might be able to find one." Even wretched people like these didn't deserve to die like this. The man took Lyra's left arm and put it around his shoulder, and took some of her weight from Adrian as also he wrapped his arm around her waist. He felt heat coming off of her in waves. Lyra's head wobbled from side to side as her weight was shifted. The man caught her eye momentarily, empty green eyes, before she passed out. "Just straight ahead and around the left corner." They carried Lyra, her toes dragged gently behind. The man wrinkled his nose at their odor.

The apothecary was dark, the windows reflecting back the orange rays from the setting sun. The breeze gently played with crystal wind chime that hung next to the door. The man pounded on the door. A red haired woman curiously looked out from above in the open window.

"Oi, can you help us? My friend is injured." Adrian called up.

She blinked and then disappeared. Just as Adrian was beginning to think she had ignored them, lights slowly winked to life inside the shop. The door cracked open and smokey gray eyes peered out at them suspiciously. They widened when they saw Lyra and disappeared as the door was wretched open. Adrian saw a girl, no younger than himself and a head shorter, point to the back of the shop.

"Back in the kitchen. Put her on the table." Meredith said in a firm voice. "How bad is she?" The girl asked, when they had set Lyra on the table.

"Pretty bad. Its her leg mostly." Adrian offered.

The girl gingerly pulled the dirty pant leg away from Lyra's calf and grimaced as it stuck to the gore. She sucked air between her teeth. "How could you two let it get this serious?"

"I found her like this."

"I only just met them. You said was your friend." The blonde man accused.

"She is. We were traveling together, and we got separated. She was really mad at me and I found her like this in the woods nearby."

"I'm not a mediwitch, but I'll try and patch her up. She's burning up." She turned and left to gather supplies from the front of her shop, her red hair trailing behind her.

"She must have been pretty angry with you." The stranger said to Adrian. He leaned against a counter top and crossed his arms casually. There was a fire crackling in the fireplace, just to his left and across from the table upon which Lyra laid.

"Very."

The woman appeared again and dumped the items she gathered in her arms on the counters. She pulled an apron over her head and walked over to the table to examine Lyra more thoroughly.

"Fever. She has many lacerations, and looks like she hasn't had a proper meal in days. No mites or fleas to speak of." Used to the lack of company, she habitually spoke to herself. "Let me turn her over." Meredith waved her wand casually and Lyra rose two feet in the air. Her head, arms and legs hung limply.

The woman frowned as she saw the marks that raked the back of Lyra's body.

"She looks like she was attacked. Has scarring, most likely from previous encounters with wild life. Some minor wounds are scabbing over, no infections there." Meredith lay Lyra back down on her stomach, and walked around her, gently prodding her body. "No growths inside, but she does need a few good meals. Can't say if she has internal injuries. Bruises look like they were caused with a blunt object. Surprisingly none on her face. But again, the scarring on her face is present from previous..." She trailed off.

"Battles," Adrian supplied.

"Right. Battles." She murmured. She looked at Adrian, curiously. Now was not the time to prod.

Meredith walked back to Lyra's leg. "The only way I know of to rid her of infection is to get rid of the flesh. I can brew her potions so her leg will grow back, and give her balms and ointments to clear up most of the scarring. I'm not advanced enough to just point my wand at it and patch her up. I mainly focus on natural medicines and provide potions or balms. I'm not a healer, and I don't have the resources healers do."

Adrian looked at her pointedly. "What are you saying? Can you fix her up or not?"

"Yes, but it will take time. And by unconventional means. In other words, I need to slice off a bit of her leg." She pointed at the dead flesh. "I will give her potions to make her tendons , nerves and muscles grow back properly, as well as treat the rest of her for infection and any other diseases or bacteria she might be harboring. Your friend..."

"Lyra,"

"Your friend, Lyra, will be fine." _Hopefully,_ she thought. "My name is Meredith, and yourself?"

"Adrian,"

She looked at Draco expectantly. "Malfoy. Draco Malfoy. But I think my services are no longer needed. It sounds like you have everything figured out."

"Actually, I think it would be best if I had as much help as possible." She smiled wanly at Draco. "I will give her something for sleep, but it won't do anything for the pain. You two will have to hold her down for a quick second while I trim her leg. I will have to see how deep these wounds are. Hopefully her bones are fine."

Draco's mouth thinned, and he felt bile rise in his throat. He was not a stranger to the sight of blood, torture or pain, however he was not a one to jump at the opportunity when it presented itself.

"You can't give her something for the pain?" Adrian asked.

"This is the quickest way to treat her. It isn't as if I don't have any potion. I do. I'm saving for another patient who would be in greater need."

"And you think getting a bit of your leg cut off isn't enough need?"

"Something tells me Lyra isn't a stranger to pain. How much she is able to tolerate is up to her." She said gravely as she made her way to her counters.

She had long nimble fingers. Meredith scanned the items she brought from the front of her store and found a vial full of liquid sleep. She poured it into a bowl and pointed her wand at the dried herbs hanging over the fireplace. She crushed the herbs in her hands before adding them to the bowl.

"Bring me the pot of water over the fireplace, would you? Thank you." She set it aside when Draco brought it.

Meredith flicked her wand again and this time rosemary flew into her waiting palm. She added the whole sprig to the bowl of sleep potion and used a calcite stone to grind the mixture together. She strained the liquid into another bowl and brought it over to Lyra. Using her wand, she turned Lyra over, so she was laying on her back once more. Adrian helped Meredith prop Lyra into a sitting position.

"Lyra wake up." Adrian shook her gently. Lyra sighed deeply. "Sorry, looks like she's ignoring me. I'll have to try something else." The corner of his lips quirked into a half smile. "Lyra, wake up or I'll eat your dinner." He shook her a roughly.

Lyra weakly opened one eye, and upon seeing him, closed it again. "That's as good as it'll get with her. Better have her drink it now, while she's partially conscious."

Meredith nodded and brought the bowl up to Lyra's lips. She opened Lyra's mouth slightly and tipped the contents in, closed her mouth and watched as she swallowed. They laid her back down and waited for the potion to take affect.

"How long have you been traveling together?" Meredith asked.

"A few years."

"And you've never thought of settling down?"

"It isn't for me. We don't own a single knut anyway."

"Just how are you going to pay for Meredith's services, anyways?" Draco asked.

"Honestly it never crossed my mind." Adrian paused as he looked around. His eyes settled on the dried herbs, above the fireplace. "I could persuade Lyra to work for you, at least until her debt is paid off. She can gather ingredients for you. She's very good at it, as long as you don't request something like dragon's bone."

"I wouldn't want to force her, but I would prefer if she could repay me in some way. I wouldn't mind a helping hand." Meredith levitated Lyra and placed her on her stomach once more. "Let's get this over with. Draco, stand at the head of the table please. And Adrian at her feet. Hold her down and don't be gentle about it. I don't want to cut off her entire leg by accident."

"Ready," Adrian said, once he was in position.

"Draco?" Meredith asked, and looked up at him. He nodded curtly. "On three then. One, two, three."

She used her wand to slice away at the dead flesh. It reeked, and blood flowed freely. Lyra's body unconsciously trembled and bucked under their restraints.

Inside Lyra's mind, she was thirteen again, dreaming. She thought she heard her mother say, "Hold her still, just a bit more." Their faces flashed in her mind and she wanted to cry out. Her voice wouldn't come, and she silently cried out. Her leg seared as she felt something sharp rip through her. Her mind was muddled as she tried to think clearly. _Not, again. Please no. Let them live._ Lyra thought. She felt the room tremble as a wave of heat burst from her bones. "What was that?" Her father asked. She couldn't hold it in anymore. Waves of energy were coming off of her, and the trio that surrounded her felt the warmth of it. The ground trembled to the rhythm of her heart.

"Is she causing this?" Meredith asked.

"Make her stop." Draco called.

"Lyra, can you hear me? It's Adrian. It's just me. Adrian. Stay here with us. We're going to heal you." He tried to reach Lyra, but she was so affected by the sleep potion she couldn't understand. "She won't listen to me. She doesn't know you. Draco, you try and talk to her. Tell her to calm down so Meredith can finish." _Or before she brings down the roof. _"Tell her, 'it isn't real.' "

"Lyra, calm down. It's okay. I know it hurts, but focus on my voice. It is not real. Listen only to my voice. We're trying to help you." Draco repeated these sentences twice more, feeling foolish, before pulsing receded.

Lyra heard his voice, and realized it wasn't her father's voice. It was young and clear, unrecognizable to her. It did not sound like it came from a distance, or muted anymore. She needed to focus. She tried to grasp on her muddled thoughts. She wasn't at her parent's home and was not thirteen. Lyra desperately tried to concentrate on keeping herself away from the past, pulling the energy back. The ground became still and after a few moments, Meredith pressed a rag dripping with potion to her wound. She wrapped the entire area in bandages and turned Lyra so she was laying comfortably on her back. Meredith cleaned up the mess, and elevated the leg. Lyra lay sleeping, her chest rising softly.


End file.
